Bite Angler

The Jackson Bite Angler is an incredible kayak. It is a fantastic length, width, and weight for an all around kayak. I have had a Bite for 3 years and had it on dozens of different streams, lakes, and larger rivers. It is a fantastic kayak for the money. Incredibly stable, and very fishable. An amazing kayak that is durable, convenient to transport, and great for beginner or expert kayakers alike.

Great kayak, Great people, great service after the sale.

Love fishing out of it. But in fast moving water it tends to flip over. Am no pro by no means. Easy to us on the lake and ponds. Wish the seat could sit closer to the boat.

Was told that this kayak was awesome to fish from. And it is. Bit also was told ot really good to go kayaking in the rivets around us and it will not tip over. It will tip over and its not the best kayak to take down class 2 rivers. I lost a few things I had on it. But it is what it is. Fishing lakes and ponds are on thing but rivers I don't recommend.

Jackson Bite Angler 2021

Love my Bite. My 4th kayak and I use them often. Review after 4 months and 50+ river miles. I am sure there are better boats out there, but they cost and weigh a lot more. The bite packs a lot into a small package. My last boat was a Malibu Stealth 14 circa 2010 which I wore two holes it. I loved that boat, but now it feels like a barge after using the Bite.
ME: I am in my 40’s, 6'4", and 225#. Often have my 60# dog and fishing stuff in the boat for about 300# of weight.
USE: Almost 100% shallow rivers. Usually involving fast currents and regular grinding over rocks. Mostly small trout streams and bass rivers that I float well into the summer when it is too shallow.
Stability: 10 out of 5. This is a dock you can paddle, which is exactly what I wanted. Secondary stability is ridiculous. Standing, standing and turning, bowfishing, walking, dancing, doing the electric slide, no problem. Sitting sideways on the deck or in the seat, no problem. Crawling back into boat on your knees from waist deep water, no problem. You might be able to fall off if you really tried, but you could not flip it without grabbing the side handles and trying to roll.
Build: 5 out of 5. I thought I would want to outfit it like crazy, but I kinda like the simple deck. I may even remove the footpegs as I never really seem to use them and they catch fly line like crazy. I use a soft sided cooler as a “hatch” up front to leave the back open for my dog. Add a dry bag and I don’t miss hatches at all. Rod holders not needed as I found it easier to just lay it on the deck. It is a blank slate though, with lots of options to make it fit your needs. Some people complain about not enough track, but it has plenty for me, and track is cheap and easy to add if you want. It does feel a little heavy when fully loaded with my dog and fishing gear, but very manageable. Love the integrated front/back handles, as they also provide something to hold onto while wading fast current. Sliding seat is a bonus to balance weight when my mutt is in the back.
Comfort: 5 out of 5. My second SOT but first “raised seat” kayak, and while it does not go a high as fancier models, it is awesome for 6+ hour fishing trips. Ignore old reviews about the seat, it was upgraded in 2020 and it rocks.
Size: 5 out of 5: At about 70 pounds and 11.5’, it is fairly easy to maneuver out of the water. I do a lot of “up and down the bank – drag it through the weeds” type of trips, not a lot of boat launches, so weight was a factor for me. It is pretty easy to go north of 90 pounds quickly with some of the fancier kayaks (like the Jackson Yupik I planned to buy). It is wide, but see stability note above.
Value: 5 out of 5: For about $900, good luck finding a better value.
Speed / paddling efficiency: 3 out of 5. This boat is not fast. I knew that going in and I don’t care since 95% of my floating is downstream. Probably not the ideal boat for long paddles. Easy to turn this boat too (compared to my old 14-footer), obviously this means tracking is not that great, but not an issued for my use anyway.
Overall: As long as it stands the test of time, I would give this boat the highest rating possible. If stability, customization, light weight, and value are important, this might be your boat. I hope this helps someone, as I did a lot of research and had trouble finding good info before buying my Bite.